The Times of India brings you 'Hack of the Day' — a new weekday series of quick, practical solutions to everyday hassles. Each hack is designed to save you time, money or stress, using tools and features within your reach — from government websites to everyday apps. In simple words: Simple fixes for smarter living.
Why Use Incognito Mode in Google Maps?
Google Maps is one of the most used navigation apps worldwide, helping millions search for locations, plan routes and discover nearby places every day. However, every search and navigation request can be saved to your Google Maps activity history, which may influence future recommendations. For users who want more privacy, Google offers an Incognito mode that prevents certain Maps activity from being saved to their Google Account while it is turned on.
This feature is useful when searching for places you prefer not to appear in your Maps history or recommendations later. For example, you may be planning a surprise destination, visiting a sensitive location, researching an unfamiliar area, or simply keeping some searches separate from your regular activity. By enabling Incognito mode before starting your search, Google Maps will not save those searches or navigation activities to your account.
Google states that Incognito mode allows users to use Maps without having their activity — such as places searched for or routes navigated — saved to their Google Account. While it does not make users completely anonymous online, it helps reduce the amount of location-related activity linked to their account.
What Happens When Incognito Mode Is On?
When Incognito mode is active, Maps on that device will not:
- Save your browsing or search history in your account
- Send notifications
- Update your Timeline
- Use your activity to personalize Maps
Important: Incognito mode in Maps does not affect how your activity is used or saved by internet providers, other apps, voice search, or other Google services.
Features Unavailable in Incognito Mode
Some Google Maps features are not available while Incognito mode is on:
- Commute
- Following
- Timeline (paused for the entire device, not just Maps)
- Notifications and messages
- Search history
- Search completion suggestions
- Google Maps Contributions
- Google Assistant microphone in Navigation
- Offline Maps
- Saved places
- Media integration
How to Turn On Incognito Mode in Google Maps on Android
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app.
- In the top right, tap your profile picture.
- Tap Turn on Incognito mode.
How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on Android
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture in the top right.
- Tap Turn off Incognito mode.
Tip: During Maps incognito mode, the Google Assistant microphone is not available in navigation, but "Ok Google" will continue to work as expected. Google Assistant is a system feature and not part of Incognito mode for Maps, so any information shared with it will be saved as usual.
How to Turn On Incognito Mode on iPhone
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture in the top right.
- Tap Turn on Incognito mode.
How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on iPhone
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Turn off Incognito mode.
By following these simple steps, you can enjoy more private navigation and searches on Google Maps. Stay tuned for more hacks in this series!
